GUWAHATI, April 9 - Consumers� Legal Protection Forum, Assam and Voluntary Organisation in the Interest of Consumer Education (Consumer Voice), New Delhi have appealed to all the 14 Lok Sabha members from Assam to support passage of the Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill in Parliament.
The two organisations submitted a memorandum individually to the Lok Sabha members from Assam.
In the memorandum, advocate Ajoy Hazarika, secretary of the Consumers� Legal Protection Forum, Assam said that �the Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill is due for urgent discussions and passage in the Parliament. This is one of the most important Acts which requires urgent push to save millions of lives on Indian roads. Approximately 1,400 crashes and 400 deaths take place every day on Indian roads, which translates into 57 accidents and loss of 17 lives on an average every day. The Central Motor Vehicle Amendment Act is a crucial Bill that will be affecting lives of all our citizens either as motorists or pedestrians.�
MPs can play a pivotal role in saving the lives of approximately 12,000 persons every month by recommending the passage of the Bill in the current session, he said.
Hazarika also said, �If this Bill is deferred, we will miss the opportunity to save the lives of around 36,000 road users and lakhs of people from being injured before the next session of Parliament. A tough law is also needed to bring down by 50 per cent the road traffic accidents by 2020, a commitment India made by adopting the Brasilia Declaration for Road Safety.�
According to a report released by the Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, India recorded 5,01,423 road crashes, 1,46,133 road traffic deaths and 4,93,474 injuries in 2015. Approximately 1,374 crashes and 400 deaths take place every day on Indian roads.
As per the National Crime Records Bureau, there were 7,633 traffic accident cases in Assam in 2015. A total of 3,058 persons died and another 7,068 persons were injured in these traffic accidents. Assam�s share in the total accidental deaths nationwide in 2015 was one per cent.
A copy of the memorandum was also submitted to Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari.
